Demon in the Eye (3) is the fifteenth chapter of Takashi Shiina's Zettai Karen Children.
Synopsis[]
The Children and Kōichi Minamoto are aboard a submarine rescuing a crew of six and two divers from a collision between a fishing boat and a tanker. Kaoru questions how the situation turned out how it did, with them also having to also rescue many stowaways. Minamoto asks the girls to not get so close to him because he feels cramped, not mentioning the effects of Kyōsuke Hyōbu's Hypnosis.
The submarine's operator tells them they are approaching the stern of the sinking ship. Kaoru tells him to cut the engines so she can guide them with her Psychokinesis. Kaoru moves the submarine until it touches the ship. Shiho uses her Psychometry to see the situation inside the ship. She informs the others that there are five survivors inside the ship but it is filling with water and they will be out of air in ten minutes. The submarine operator tells them that they can only take three more people. Knowing that Aoi's teleport range is limited underwater so she won't be able to take anyone to the surface, he tells Aoi to do a replacement teleport.
Kaoru and Minamoto sit inside the sinking ship. Kaoru complains that it is cold and it smells, Minamoto tells her to bear with it for one or two hours and that they need her Psychokinesis to counteract the water pressure. Kaoru says she can't stand the cold anymore and tries to cuddle up to Minamoto, but he pushes here away. Minamoto panicking says he will call for help if Kaoru comes closer, Kaoru says that no one will come so it'll be fine. Minamoto then threatens to bite his tongue and Kaoru accuses him of being a little girl. Kaoru accepting that nothing is going to happen between them says that they can do more the next time.
Shiho asks if the submarine can go any faster, but is told that they are going at full speed. Shiho warns Aoi that it is dangerous for Minamoto and Kaoru to be alone together while Minamoto is under Kyōsuke's hypnosis. The girls hypothesise about when Aoi teleports back into the ship to rescue them, how they might suddenly jump away from each other embarrassed; afterwards Kaoru would have a strange adult-like feel to her; the trip back her and Minamoto would exchange eye contact and intertwin their fingers. Aoi and Shiho panic at their imagined worst case scenario. The submarine operator overhearing the conversation is shocked that Minamoto could do such a thing with a grade-schooler.
Kyōsuke underwater watches the submarine move away, laughing at Aoi and Shiho's prediction however knowing that Minamoto wold never do such a thing. Kaoru shivers inside the ship and Minamoto worries about her saying that she is as cold as ice. Kyōsuke teleports inside the ship and tells him that Kaoru is using all her energy to fight the water pressure so she can't keep herself warm from the cold ocean. Kyōsuke offers to take the two of them to the surface, hoping that Minamoto will give in, believing that if he does then Minamoto will be easy to hypnotise further. Minamoto shocks Kyōsuke by telling him that he knows that Kyōsuke is planning to turn Minamoto into a puppet who will do whatever Kyōsuke wants him to do.Minamoto then activates Kaoru's limiter, water immediately starts gushing into the ship. Kyōsuke asks him if he is trying to kill himself and Kaoru. Minamoto puts an ESP lock on Kyōsuke and himself, telling him that it is a new version that matches Kyōsuke's frequency to stop him from using any powers those needed to get them to safety. Kyōsuke is amused at Minamoto's attempts to outplay him.
Aoi and Shiho return on the submarine. Minamoto and Kaoru teleport inside the submarine. Aoi asks how they teleported without her and and Minamoto telkls her that Kyōsuke did it. Minamoto realises the the new ESP lock didn't work on Kyōsuke. Kyōsuke watches the submarine move away and thinks to himself that Minamoto is more fun than he thought he was going to be. Shiho and Aoi ask what happened aboard the ship and Minamoto tells them that nothing significant happened.
Back at B.A.B.E.L. headquarters after Kyōsuke's hypnotism has worn off, Kaoru complains that that Minamoto wouldn't hold her in her adult form. Shiho mentions that something may have happened with Kyōsuke. Kaoru is shocked, thinking that Minamoto is not into girls.